Airbus' New Composite Airliner Completes First Flight Testing Phase

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Airbus' New Composite Airliner Completes First Flight Testing Phase

Airbus' new A350 XWB composite airliner recently wrapped up its first month of flight testing, completing the first phase of the scheduled year-long program. Since the initial flight on June 14, test pilots have flown 92 hours in the new airliner, defining the performance envelope and testing all the key on-board systems.

With a wingspan of 213 feet, the new A350 is slightly larger than Boeing's composite airliner, the 787. The first test aircraft, known as MSN1, is now undergoing scheduled maintenance and an upgrade of the flight test instrumentation and equipment, before beginning the second phase of testing in August. During the first four-week phase, Airbus evaluated the basic performance of the airplane, confirming the various airspeeds at each end of the scale, as well as the speeds used for the various phases of flight such as cruise and landing. The airplane maker also performed initial tests on the electrical system, the landing gear and brakes, and cabin pressurization, along with the autopilot and autoland systems.

Over the next year, Airbus will use a fleet of five test aircraft to complete the 2,500 hours of testing it expects to need in order to certify and deliver the first A350 XWB to the airlines. The next prototype will be primarily used for extreme conditions, including high altitude and hot and cold weather testing. Two aircraft will be used for testing cabin systems and demonstrating long flight capabilities. A fifth aircraft will be used primarily for noise tests, as well as pilot training for the initial airline customers.

With typical seating arrangements, the A350 will have room for around 350 to 400 passengers, making it more of a competitor to Boeing's 777. The airplane uses composite panels that are mounted onto a composite airframe, compared to the segmented composite barrels used to make the fuselage of the 787. The A350 production aircraft will not use lithium-ion batteries as its main on board power supply, instead opting for the more traditional nickel-cadmium batteries. Airbus has orders for 678 of the twin-aisle jets and plans on delivering the first customer aircraft during the second half of 2014.